Research the requirements for teaching English in Illinois. Contact the Illinois State Board of Education for more information on certification, or visit their official website to view current requirements.
Look for accredited schools that offer a bachelor's degree in education. View the Directory of Approved Programs for the Preparation of Educational Personnel in Illinois Institutions of Higher Education, available online in PDF format on the Illinois State Board of Education website. Schools are listed alphabetically; run a search using "Chicago" as the key word to find schools with programs in the city.
Contact the schools you are considering applying to and ask about program details, letting them know that you are specifically interested in teaching English. If you have a certain age group in mind that you want to teach, include that information as well. Available age group certificates for English language arts are birth through grade 3, grades K through 9 and grades 6 through 12.
Enroll in the program that best fits your needs, and work with an adviser to make sure you are completing all degree requirements. Many programs require you to complete a number of credit hours within the English language arts department at your school in addition to your education courses. You will also need to complete at least five credit hours of student teaching, which should equal at least three months of daily classroom experience.
Take the Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS), which is the test you must pass toward the end of your program, enabling you to become a licensed educator in Illinois. The test contains several sections, which you may or may not have to take, depending on the level of teaching you wish to do. At the very least, you will be required to pass the basic skills, assessment of professional teaching and English language arts tests.